Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Nov 2002

Vol. 557 No. 6

Adjournment Debate. - Flood Relief.

Mr. Boyle

The Minister of State will be aware that the name Corcaigh derives from the word "portach" which is the Irish word for a bog or a marsh. Given the development of the city over the years, the inner city has been prone to flooding on a sporadic basis. However, measures taken by Cork City Council in recent years appear to have addressed the problems.

Unfortunately, like Dublin last week, Cork this week has experienced flooding that has caused devastation to householders and businesses. It is incumbent on the Minister of State to respond on behalf of the Government to indicate whether the support measures offered in relation to the residents of County Meath and those bordering the River Tolka in Dublin city are also to be offered to householders and businesses in the Cork city area.

Like the Dublin flooding, the flooding that occurred in Cork was not on the main river, although some flooding occurred in the city centre in the usual locations just 20 feet from my constituency office. Most of the flooding occurred from the tributary rivers – the River Tramore on the south side and the River Bride on the north side. This caused a great deal of discomfort on the south side in Togher, Turner's Cross and Kinsale Road with much of the road network immobilised. Similar effects occurred on the north side in the historic part of Blackpool and flooding was caused from two other waterways in the suburban centres of Carrickalyon and Ballincollig.

In the Estimates just presented to the House there was a €5.5 million increase for flood relief measures. The Government must recognise that €19 million is a very small figure and does not come close to the type of relief measures that need to be taken throughout the country to alleviate flood damage, prevent it from occurring and to offer confidence to residents and businesses who suffer its effects. In the Estimates, humanitarian aid for flood relief was reduced from €8.5 million to €59,000, which does not inspire people to believe that when they experience such difficulty, as happened in Cork city yesterday, that they will receive appropriate support from State agencies.

Successive Governments, including this one, have not offered appropriate support for infrastructure which might alleviate flood damage, particularly in the city centre. Cork City Council, over a ten year period, has applied to have the city quay walls upgraded and reinforced but not a penny has come from the Department of the Environment and Local Government. The Government needs to recognise the flood risks in the Cork city area and now also in suburban Cork due to the Lee's tributaries also being exposed to flooding with the consequent damage to residences and businesses. I am hoping for a similar response to that which the Minister's colleague, Deputy Parlon, the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, gave to residents in the wake of the River Tolka flooding. If the Government is to be consistent, it must apply equal standards in all parts of the country.

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I will take this matter if the Deputy does not object.

Mr. Boyle

I can understand the Minister's interest.

Mr. Martin

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I first of all express sympathy on my own behalf and that of the Government to everyone affected by the flooding in Cork city last evening which is a very traumatic experience. As the House will be aware this is the most recent of a number of serious flooding incidents throughout the country in the past two weeks or so.

As Deputy Boyle stated, Cork city was built on a marsh and the central area has been vulnerable historically to high tides and rainfall, which combined can create flooding. Flooding occurred in Cork city during the night of 20 November and early morning of 21 November arising from heavy rainfall during the early hours of this morning. Rain was falling in the Cork area from early afternoon yesterday and intensified overnight and was heaviest between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. when up to 24 mm fell. Three areas affected included the Greenwood estate of Togher, the Millfield Cottages area of Blackpool and Blackpool village. Turner's Cross was also affected where, in the mid-1990s, significant investment was put in to improve the drainage capacity, but that must be reviewed.

It would appear that the floodwaters that affected the Millfield Cottages area originated in the vicinity of Kilbarry industrial estate. The storm waters flowed along Whitechurch Road, into Redforge Road and into Millfield Cottages and Spring Lane. The floodwaters escaped from here to a culvert near Thomas Davis Street and entered the Bride River upstream of Blackpool Church. It is reported that the area was also affected by flows from the Glen River, but this cannot be verified at this point. Approximately 16 privately owned houses were affected. Obviously the local authority will be investigating further, including the adequacy of storm water storage capacity at the industrial estate.

Flooding in Greenwood estate seems to have arisen from a stream which flows from the county boundary towards Palmbury estate. The stream enters a culvert at the south of Togher Road, just south of the Doughcloyne Hotel. This culvert carries the stream at the north of Togher Road to the Tramore River. The entry point of the stream to the culvert is protected by a trash grating barrier and it appears that this grating got partially blocked and was not able to accommodate the flow. As a result the floodwaters flowed onto the road and into the low point at Greenwood estate where a number of houses may have been affected.

Flooding occurred in Blackpool village in the early hours of this morning. The River Bride, which flows in an open channel at the north of Blackpool church, enters and is carried in a masonry stone arched culvert along Watercourse Road. This culvert either got constricted by debris or did not have adequate capacity to carry the flow. Local authority staff had been called out earlier to this area to clear gullies and this was done. The flood waters rose at the culvert entry point, spilled onto the Watercourse Road near Blackpool church, flowed along the Watercourse Road, into Gerald Griffin Street and Gerald Griffin Avenue. A number of business premises, private houses and cars were flooded along with Blackpool church.

The existing culvert at this point has a capacity of 12.6 cubic metres per second. I am glad to report that as part of the Cork main drainage scheme, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government has just approved the contract documents to replace this culvert, which should improve the situation here. The new culvert will have almost three times the capacity of the existing one. The local authority is now free to go to tender for this job. Other issues raised by the Deputy, particularly in terms of supporting people affected, will be brought to the attention of Deputy Parlon, the Minister of State with responsibility in this area.